Being there . . . . once again to consider, appreciate, and ultimately purchase as Christmas gifts
for family, friends, and self the World War II books of OSPREY, the near-perfect paragon of
American military publishing. As this column highly recommends hot-off-the-presses, must-read
titles for addition to private collections and personal libraries, there is no better time than now
to introduce five of the company’s early offerings for this reviewer’s “Best Book Buys for
Christmas and the New Year”. Since 1969, the OSPREY editorship, decade after decade, series
after series, has ensured the company’s growth and development in “niche” publishing, like
that of Casemate’s. Between them, the two companies have provided military enthusiasts the
world over, thousands upon thousands of World War II titles. No two companies, unattached or
commingling, has yet to equal their simultaneous output . . . .
OSPREY OFFERS ITS INITIAL BATCH OF BEST BOOK BUYS FOR XMAS AND THE NEW YEAR
While purchasing for family and friends, why not buy, wrap, and place a few of their recent
boastings, under your own tree?
PART ONE OF A SPECIAl THREE-PART SERIES OF OSPREY’S “BEST BOOK BUYS FOR CHRISTMAS”
Reviewed and highly recommended by Don DeNevi
The five titles listed below are all from OSPREY PUBLISHING’S unique AVIATION SERIES, X-
Planes, Duel-Engage the Enemy, Air Campaign, Raid, assuring, like all the other company series,
that each book is authoritative, complete, and up to date with the latest researched material
available. All have been especially designed and prepared for their special categories within the
Aviation Series. Like Casemate, OSPREY began its career with an entirely new kind of military
history: combining the best authors available with outstanding illustrators who love reading
and researching as much as us avid buffs who desire every WWII book ever published. Early on,
OSPREY realized what Casemate knew from the beginning of its company – – accurate books
about combat are rare, whether written by historians, commanders of forces in the battles
described, from the direct participants in the fighting, or by the correspondents who were close
beside the infantrymen as they fought. Osprey, like Casemate, was resolute in providing every
fighting soldier, and the men in other branches, the opportunity to discuss warfare as they
fought and saw it, offering us of-the-armchairs, the truths of battle.
Over the remaining nine weeks prior to Christmas Eve, or morning, OSPREY, Casemate, Naval
Institute Press, McFarland, and Schiffer will share this column’s available space to introduce
readers to their best efforts to inform, excite, and please joyously as presents on Christ’s
celebrated day of birth.
“DOUGLAS XB-19 – America’s Giant World War II Intercontinental Bomber”, by William Wolf.
Osprey Publishing, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc: 2021, 80 pages, sc; $22. Visit,
www.ospreypublishing.com.
“P-47 THUNDERBOLT VS GERMAN FLAK DEFENSES – Western Europe 1943 – 45”, by Jonathan
Bernstein. Osprey Publishing, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc: 2021, 80 pages, sc; $22. Visit,
www.ospreypublishing.com.
“OPERATION JERICHO – Freeing the French Resistance from Gestapo jail, Amiens 1944”, by
Robert Lyman. Osprey Publishing, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc: 2022, 80 pages, sc; $22. Visit,
www.ospreypublishing.com.
“THE RUHR 1943 – The RAF’s brutal fight for Germany’s industrial heartland”, by Richard
Worall, illustrated by Graham Turner. Osprey Publishing, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc: 2021, 96
pages, $24. Visit, www.ospreypublishing.com.
“SBD DAUNTLESS VS A6M ZERO-SEN – Pacific Theater 1941 – 44”, by Donald Nijboer. Osprey
Publishing, Bloomsbury Publishing Pl: 2021, 80 pages, $22. Visit, www.ospreypublishing.com.
Another five reviewed and highly recommended titles among the hundreds will appear here
later this week. Readers are encouraged to visit the www site for the wonderful experience of
seeing for themselves the glorious, literally glorious, collection of books assembled by OSPREY,
one of the five best military publishers in the world.
Also, note that each volume has within its pages colorfully original, meticulously detailed,
artwork, the best available archival and personal photographs, unrivaled detail, cutaway
artwork, battle scenes, bird’s eye views, maps and diagrams, expert histories analyses, and
abundant satisfying first-hand accounts.
